In most modern police patrol vehicles, often referred to as “cruisers” a gun rack is supported within the vehicle interior which in turn receives supports and secures one or more weapons. In one common application, a rigid gun rack is supported upon the vehicle transmission hump portion between the vehicle front seats. A variety of attachment apparatus are employed to secure the gun rack to the vehicle floor hump and/or to a prisoner screen of the type usually positioned behind the vehicle front seats.
While the design of gun rack of the type situated within the vehicle interior has been subject to substantial variation, in general, most gun racks utilize a base secured to the vehicle floor hump together with an upwardly extending vertical riser portion. The upper surface of the base supports one or more (butt shoes) configured to receive the end portion of weapon stock. The weapon securing apparatus is completed by the attachment of one or more gun locks secured to the riser portion of the gun rack at a position which facilitates captivating a portion of the secured weapon.
While a gun rack may be constructed and configured to secure a single weapon, the most prevalent configuration of the gun rack situated between vehicle front seats provides supports for a pair of weapons. Thus, a typical gun rack includes a base supporting a pair of butt shoes together with a vertically extending riser. The gun rack is typically secured solidly to the vehicle floor hump and may be additionally secured to the prisoner screen should the vehicle have one. A pair of gun locks are secured to the vertical riser of the gun rack at a position suited to the shape of the to-be-secured weapon. A typical gun lock provides a gun lock body which defines an open front receptacle shaped to receive the secured portion of the weapon. A locking gate is pivotally supported upon the gun lock body and is movable between an open position away from the receptacle and a closed or locked position in which the locking gate spans or closes the open front of the gun lock receptacle thereby captivating and securing the weapon therein.
In a typical operation, a weapon is secured within the gun rack by initially fitting the end of the gun stock often referred to as “butt” into the butt shoe. With the gun butt remaining in the butt shoe the weapon is pivoted into the gun lock receptacle and the locking gate is pivoted from its open position to its locked position in which it bridges and closes the open face of the weapon receiving receptacle. A locking or latching mechanism is supported within the gun lock body and is operative to secure the locking gate in its closed and locked position. At this point, the weapon is secured within the gun rack.
In general, the gun lock may be opened or released by utilizing a conventional key and lock mechanism. In addition, in most applications, an electric release mechanism is provided which utilizes a solenoid lock release mechanism within the gun lock body together with a remotely located release button. The electrical release mechanism is provided for the purpose of allowing the police officer to quickly release the gun lock and access the weapon without the need for using a key. For purposes of maintaining safety and security, the electric release button is typically “hidden” within the vehicle interior at a location known only to the police officer operating the vehicle.
Once the gun lock securing mechanism has been released, either by use of a key or remote hidden button and electrical release, the officer then grabs the locking gate and pivots it away from the gun lock receptacle outwardly to its open position. At this point, the weapon is available for removal from the gun rack. In common practice, most police officers prefer to release the gun lock using the electric release allowing the police officer to grab the locking gate and pull it open with one hand while grasping the weapon with the other hand. This allows the quickest access to the weapon.
To best facilitate the use of the electric release button system, a timer is integrated into the electrical release system which provides an unlocked condition for the gun lock for a predetermined time interval following the activation of the release button. This timer system maintains the unlocked configuration of the gun lock for a predetermined time interval after which the lock mechanism again engages and the gun lock is once again locked and secured. The use of this timed interval protects the activation circuitry within the gun lock from damage which would occur in the event the electrical system maintained the gun lock in an unlocked configuration for an extended period of time. In a typical operational scenario, officers arriving at a situation in which access to the secured weapons is likely to be required, activate the electric release and utilize the time interval to decide whether or not to access the weapons as the situation develops.
Once a weapon has been removed from the gun rack, it may be returned to the gun rack by once again placing the gun butt into the butt shoe and pivoting the weapon into the lock receptacle. Thereafter, the locking gate is pivoted to the closed and lock position and the locking mechanism secures the gate. In the preferred fabrication of gun locks, the locking or latching mechanism operative upon the locking gate will automatically latch and secure the locking gate upon closure.
As mentioned above, a gun rack may be configured to receive and support a single weapon. However, typically gun racks of the type described above accommodate a pair of weapons. In most applications, two different types of weapons are situated within the vehicle in order to best meet the variety of operational situations encountered by police officers. Perhaps one of the most commonly employed weapons pairs used by police officers within patrol vehicles includes a shot gun such as a REMINGTON 870 together with a COLT AR 15 automatic rifle. The substantial differences in size, shape and configuration between weapons in such as weapon pair has here-to-for required that individual gun locks configured to accommodate each type of weapon be provided within the vehicle. Thus, in a typical pair of gun locks within the vehicle, one of the gun locks is configured to receive and secure a shot gun while the remaining gun lock is configured to receive and secure an AR 15 automatic rifle.
While the foregoing described gun locks have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, they remain subject to a number of undesirable limitations which are as of yet unresolved. For example, the necessity for manually pivoting the lock gate to its open position once the lock has been released, necessitates the simultaneous use of both hands by an officer attempting to rapidly access the weapon. Further, the presently available gun locks tend to be prohibitively large and heavy and occupy a substantial area of space between the vehicle seats. This problem is exacerbated by the swing clearance required by the pivoting lock gate. In further addition, the large size and bulky character of the presently available gun locks often occupies substantial space upon the secured weapon which in turn interferes with various weapon attachments that might otherwise be desired by the user. At present, individual specially configured locks designed to receive a given weapon are required. This adds to the inventory of gun locks which must be maintained by a police organization to suit the variety of weapons in use. Also, the use of a protective electric timing apparatus to avoid damage to the gun lock activation circuitry adds considerable expense and complexity to the overall system. As a result, there remains a continuing and unresolved need in the art for ever more improved gun locks.